Wood-splitting machine.



N0.74s,162. V PATBNTED DBG.'29,1903.

o. B.- GHEESEBROUGH.

WOOD SPLITTING MACHINE. APPLIOATION FILED Am. 15, 190s.

N0 MODEL.

` is to provide a machine of great `strength UNITED STATES Patentedjemloer 29, 19(13.

PATENT OFFICE.

WOOD-SPLITTING MACHINE.

SPECIFICATION formingpart of Letters Patent No. 748,162, dated December29, 1903- Application iiled April 15, 1 908.

T0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, OSCAR E. CHEESE- BROUGH, a citizen of the UnitedStates, residing at Anaheim, in the county of Orange and State ofCalifornia, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inWood-Splitting Machines; and I do hereby declare the following to be afull, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enableothers skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use thesame. y

My invention relates to a wood-working machine, and more particularly tosplittingmachines designed for readily splitting into desired form ablock of wood as severedfrom the trunk of a tree.

My invention therefore comprehends certain novel features of combinationand construction of parts, as .will be hereinafter clearly set forth,reference being had to the accompanying drawings, which are made a partof this application.

The object of my invention, among others,

whereby a block of wood may be split or severed into sections of desiredsize notwithstanding the same may be full of knots, &c.

Other objects and advantages will be hereinafter made clearly apparent.

Referring to the drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective view of myinvention complete ready for use. Fig. 2 is a detail view showing avertical'central section of the choppingblock or support upon which theblock of wood to be split is placed ready for the knife. Fig. 3 is adetail view showing the bottom of the blocksupporting base.

Referring to the numerals on the drawings, in which the same numeral isemployed to in-r dicate a similar part in the several views, l,designates a part of the framework of my machine, said parts being thesupporting-sills, which in someinstances, if desired, may be beveled atone end, so as to serve as sled-runners, whereby draft-animals may beattached thereto and the entire machine readily moved from place toplace. Upon the base member 1 thus or otherwise constructed I erect theparallel standards 2 andh 3, secured in any preferred way and connectedat their upper ends by suitable stay-rods 4 and by the cap-section 5, aspace of proper size being left between Serial 110.152.723. (No model.)

each pair of standards 2 and 3 to permit a free upward and downward playof the cross-head 6, which, as will be observed in Fig. V1, carries thesplitting-knife 7, which is connected to the cross-head 6 in anypreferred way, as by having its shank 8 inserted in a suitable socket orrecess and removably secured therein, as bythe bolt 9 or otherequivalent device. The cross-head is of proper length to extend throughand beyond the standards 2 and 3 and is provided at each end with ajournal or gudgeon l0, adapted to cooperate with the upper end of thepitmen l1 and 12, one of said pitmen being provided for each side of theinachine, as clearly shown. t

VThe standards 2 and 3 are properly reinforced and supported in theirupright position upon one or both sides by means of suitable braces 13and 14, connected to said standards and the base member 1 in anypreferred way that will insure proper strength and union of the parts.

A suitable supporting-base consisting, preferably, of a series of blocksor base members 15, 16, and 17 is provided, said base being supported byhaving the member 15 rest directly upon the member 1, all of said partsbeing secured together in any desired way and also connected with thenprights or standards 2 and 3. The base member 17is provided on itsupper surface with a central aperture in which is secured thevertically-disposed stud or tenen 18, the. upper protruding end of whichis loosely received by an aperture 19, provided in the central part ofthe lower end of the base or supporting-block proper 20.

The base proper is designed to support the block of wood to be split,inasmuch as during the full downward stroke of the knife the latter willcome in near approach to the base and insure that it will pass entirelythrough any block of wood which may have been interposed between thebase and the knife.

In order to cushion the base member 2O in its operative position,whereby it will somewhat relieve the strain placed upon the knife as thelatter enters the block of wood, I provide a plurality of apertures inthe upper surface of the base section 17, in each of which I dispose acushioning-spring 21, and

it is therefore obvious that the base member 2O will not only be veryreliably sustained in its adjusted operative position, but will also bein position to yieldingly receive the heavy strain placed upon the sameand incidentally save the knife against all blows and undue strainplaced thereon.

In order that the cross-head carrying the knife may be rapidlyreciprocated in the guideways formed by the standards 2 and 3, I connectthe pitmen 11 and 12 at their lower ends to suitable wrist-'pins 22,carried by the gear wheels 23, one of said wheels being placed upon eachside of the machine to cooperate with its respective pitman.

The gear-wheels 23 are supported upon a suitable shaft extendingentirely through the framework of the machine and through the basemember 15, it being understood that suitable bearings therefor are alsoprovided. The gear-wheels 23 are actuated by means of the driving-gears24, also supported upon a suitable shaft 25, extending through the baseof the machine and through bracing sections or uprights 26, there beingone of the gears 24 for each of the gears 23, as will be obviouslynecessary.

The shaft 25 and the gears 24, which are keyed rigidly thereto, aredriven by the band-wheel 27 or the equivalentfchereof, and While I haveshown a simple band-wheel cooperating with the belt 2S as affording thesource of power, yet it will be understood that the band-wheel 27 may bereplaced by a sprocket-wheel or otherwise connected with the steam orhorse power motor, as preferred. I also rigidly secure to the shaft 25the flywheel 29, whereby requisite momentum may be maintained and insurethat the knife will be reliably forced through any obstructing block ofwood.

My improved splitting machine will not only be found very desirable anduseful for preparing Wood for stoves, furnaces, 85e., but

will also be found very desirable for splitting staves, shingles, andthe like, inasmuch as the operator may by holding the block of wood inproper position shape the severed portions thereof as he may desire.

While I have described the preferred combination and construction ofparts, I desire n to comprehend in this application such subi what Iclaim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

The herein-described splitting-machine for severing blocks ofwood,comprising a suitable frame having uprights erected thereon, across-head reciprocating in openings between said uprights, a knifecarried by said crosshead, pitmen connected to said cross head, andextending downward near the bottom of the machine and suitable drivingmechanism adaptedv to reciprocate said pitmen whereby the knife will beraised and lowered, a splitting-block or base member at the lower end ofthe path of the knife, a stud 18 adapted to hold said block in itsoperative position and springs 2l secured in orifices in saidsplitting-block and base-block whereby said splittingblock will beyieldingly supported, as and for the purpose set forth.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

OSCAR E. CHEESEBROUGH.

Witnesses:

JAMES S. HOWARD, O. T. OAILOR.

